List of man-made disasters in South Korea

Last updated

This is a partial list of man-made disasters in South Korea since the Korean War. It includes events that have a Wikipedia entry and other events mentioned in a reputable source.

YearDateLocationNumber killedTypeDescriptionReference
19535 Januaryen route from Yeosu to Pusan 229Maritime accidentSinking of ferry MV Changgyeong [1]
196026 January Seoul Railroad Station 31StampedeAt least 3,926 person trigger rush to platform on Number 601 local train, according to South Korea National Police Agency official confirmed report.[ citation needed ]
196911 DecemberDeparted from Gangneung Air Base 0TerrorismHijacking of South Korean domestic flight Korean Air Lines YS-11 hijacking
197014 OctoberMosan accident46Level crossing accidentA 77 middle student board on bus, collision with Janghang Station bound express train at Mosan, Chungcheongnam-do, to according to SKNPA official confirmed report.[ citation needed ]
197118 January Kimpo 6Mass murderKilling spree by South Korean marine 1971 Kimpo killings [2]
197128 DecemberSeoul164FireDeadliest hotel fire in South Korean history Daeyeonggak Hotel fire
197215 Decemberen route from Seogwipo to Busan 323 to 326Maritime accidentSinking of ferry Namyoung-Ho Sinking of Namyoung-Ho
19743 NovemberSeoul64Nightclub fireTime Club fire List of nightclub fires
1975August to OctoberVarious17Serial killingSerial killing spree Kim Dae-doo
197711 November Iksan, North Jeolla56 to 59ExplosionAccidental detonation of a munitions train Iri Station explosion
198015 November Gimpo International Airport 15Aviation accidentPilot error on landing due to bad weather Korean Air Lines Flight 015
198018-27 May Gwangju 187Pro-democracy demonstrationsDemonstrations opposing the Coup d'état of May Seventeenth Gwangju Uprising
19826 February Jeju International Airport 53Aviation accidentCrashing of military plane from bad weather February 1982 Korean Air Force C-123 accident
198218 March Busan 1ArsonArson attack on US target Busan American Cultural Service building arson
198218 April Uiryeong County 25FireAccidental fire in a club, fire escapes chained shut List of nightclub fires
198226-27 April Uiryeong County 63Mass murderShooting spree by a former marine Uiryeong Spree Killing
198414 January Busan 34FireHotel Fire [3]
1986-1988October 1986 - August 1988 Seoul 5Serial killingPoisonings with potassium cyanide Kim Sun-ja (serial killer)
1986–199115 September 1986 - 3 April 1991 Hwaseong 15Serial killingHwaseong serial murders Lee Choon-jae
19865 April Osan Air Base 16FireFire at a military fuel depot [4]
198614 September Gimpo International Airport 5TerrorismBombing of airport by North Korea Gimpo International Airport bombing
198717 Junenear Koje Island 25 - 38FireFire onboard thanks to overheating engine Kukdong-ho Fire [ citation needed ]
198729 Novemberover the Andaman Sea 115TerrorismAirliner destroyed by bomb planted aboard Korean Air Flight 858
198825 March Anyang, Gyeonggi 22FireFire inside of Green Hill Textile Company [5] [6] [7] [8]
199126 March Daegu 5Mass murderUnsolved homicide of 5 boys Frog Boys
199117 October Daegu 16ArsonAttack on a nightclub [9]
199328 March Gupo station 78Train derailmentUnauthorized tunneling under causing track to collapse
199326 July Mokpo Airport 69Aviation accidentPilot error leading to controlled flight into terrain Asiana Airlines Flight 733
199310 Octoberoffshore near Buan County 292Maritime accidentSinking of ferry in bad weather Sinking of MV Seohae
1993-94 South Jeolla 5Serial killingSerial killing against the rich; cannibalism Chijon family
199421 October Seoul 32Structural failureCollapse of section of bridge from faulty weld Seongsu Bridge Disaster
199528 AprilDaegu101ExplosionConstruction accident leading to puncturing of gas pipe 1995 Daegu gas explosions
199529 June Seoul 502Structural failureDepartment store collapse from structural overload Sampoong Department Store collapse
199617 September – 5 NovemberGangneung40Military confrontationInfiltration of North Korean spy submarine resulting in casualties to both sides 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident
199822 Junenear Sokcho 9Military confrontationSinking of damaged North Korean spy submarine under South Korean Navy control 1998 Sokcho submarine incident
199930 June Hwaseong 23FireFire at children's summer camp dormitory Sealand Youth Training Center Fire
199930 October Inchon 54 to 65FireFire at illegal bar for underage drinkers [10]
1999-2000June 1999 - April 2000Various9Serial killingSerial killing spree Jeong Du-yeong
2000October - December North Jeolla Province 3Serial killingSerial killing or rape of minors Kim Hae-sun
200215 Aprilnear Busan 129Aviation accidentPilot error leading to controlled flight into terrain Air China Flight 129
200318 February Daegu 192ArsonSuicide attack by setting fire to a subway train Daegu subway fire
2003–04September 2003 to July 2004 Seoul 20Serial killingKilling spree of prostitutes and old men; cannibalism Yoo Young-chul
2004–06January 2004 to April 2006 Gyeonggi Province 15Serial killingSerial killing spree Jeong Nam-gyu
2005–08October 2005 to December 2008 Ansan 10Serial killingSerial killing spree of women due to lust Kang Ho-sun
200810 February Seoul 0ArsonArson to historic Namdaemun gate 2008 Namdaemun fire
200820 October Seoul 6Mass murderArson and stabbing attack Nonhyeon-dong massacre
20087 January Icheon 40FireFire in warehouse under construction 2008 Icheon fire [11]
201026 Marchoffshore near Baengnyeongdo 46Military confrontationNorth Korean attack ROKS Cheonan sinking
20114 JulyGanghwa Island4Mass murderMass shooting [12]
201128 Julycrashed near Jeju Island 2Aviation accidentCrash resulting from fire in aircraft's cargo Asiana Airlines Flight 991
2011 - 2014 Pocheon 3Serial killingKilling of relatives with herbicides for money Pocheon poisonings
201416 Aprilen route from Inchon to Jeju island 304Maritime accidentSinking of ferry from crew error and overloading Sinking of MV Sewol
20142 May Seoul 0Subway accidentRear-end collision 2014 Seoul subway crash
201421 June Gangwon 5Mass murderRampage by a South Korean soldier Goseong killing spree
201417 October Seongnam 16Structural failureVentilation grate collapse at K-pop concert [13]
201525-27 February Sejong City and Hwaseong 8Mass murderTwo separate mass murder-suicides two days apart 2015 Sejong and Hwaseong shootings
20156 Septemberoffshore near Chuja 18Maritime accidentFishing boat lost in heavy seas Sinking of Dolgorae
201721 December Jecheon 29FireElectrical fire in a gym Jecheon building fire [14]
201820 January Miryang 5FireArson attack on a hotel [15]
201826 January Miryang 41FireUnknown cause; lack of sprinklers Miryang hospital fire
2018June Gunsan 5FireArson [16]
201819 August Inchon 9FireFire in an electronics factory [17]
20189 November Seoul 7FireFire caused by electric stove overheating [18]
202029 April Icheon 39FireFire in a warehouse under construction 2020 Icheon fire
20219 June Gwangju 9Structural FailureConstruction error during demolition 2021 Gwangju building collapse
20229 June Daegu 7ArsonAttack on a law office [19]
202229 October Seoul 156Crowd crushCrushing the crowd during Halloween festival Seoul Halloween crowd crush
202424 June Hwaseong, Gyeonggi 22FireAccidental explosion in the warehouse of a lithium battery factory Aricell battery factory fire
20241 July Central Seoul 9Automobile crashElderly driver reversed into a busy crosswalk.2024 Seoul car crash

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